As the residents of Wuhan, China, approach their second week under lockdown, drone footage from ABC News reveals how empty the city looks.
Since January 23, when the Chinese government issued quarantine orders for Wuhan as part of its effort to contain a coronavirus outbreak, all forms of public transportation, trains, and air travel has been halted. It’s the largest quarantine in human history.
Scientists think the virus, called 2019-nCov, likely jumped from animals to people in a seafood market in Wuhan. More than 20,000 have gotten sick and 420 people have died.
Authorities followed up the transportation ban on January 26 with an order that eliminated all private cars from Wuhan’s downtown. Authorized vehicles carrying supplies and cabs are still allowed, however.
The quarantine, coupled with fear about the coronavirus’ rapid spread, has turned Wuhan — a city of 11 million people — into a ghost town.
In ABC News’ drone video of the city below, only a handful of cars remain on the road. Two bikers cycle down the street. No people can be found in the downtown bars or park.
—ABC News (@ABC) February 4, 2020
45 million people are under quarantine
Soon after authorities announced the quarantine policy for Wuhan, officials put 15 other cities on lockdown as well, bringing the total number of affected citizens to about 45 million.
“If you live in cities, your movement can be controlled through public transport,” Fei Chen, an urban-design…
